Norwegian folk-pop-jazz artist Vaarin releases her third album, Heading Home, via Spring Records / Vårrull. Heading Home follows on the heels of her 2018 debut album, Even If I Started Seeing Rainbows, and 2023’s The Identity of Belonging.
Born into a creative family, Vaarin grew up strumming guitars and writing songs. By the time she turned 14, she was slipping into the garage, where she composed on a Rhodes piano. Her debut album, Even If I Started Seeing Rainbows, immediately put her on the map.
Vaarin’s 2020 single, “Take It With Me,” cemented her status as a tour de force. Since then, she has shared the stage with AURORA, Bel Canto, Darling West, Valkyrien Allstars, Fay Wildhagen, and Thomas Dybdahl. She has performed at the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin and for the Norwegian prime minister at Oslo Spektrum.
Written on trains carrying her to her hometown of Hokksund, Heading Home reveals the sensation of wistful nostalgia. According to Vaarin, the album is “a journey home to roots and childhood, to the past and old memories.”
Of the dozen tracks on Heading Home, entry points include “’til the morning,” a gentle, shimmering folk-pop tune topped by Vaarin’s delicate, translucent vocals, imbuing the lyrics with the tender warmth of emotional longing.
A personal favorite because of its silky, dreamlike flow, “Echoes From Our Time” conjures up suggestions of Joni Mitchell immersed in a haze of psychedelia. Whereas tints of Latin jazz give “You Don’t Know” a swaying, voluptuous rhythm as Vaarin’s sumptuous vocals display exquisite, tonal nuances.
There’s a luscious hint of joy running through “Something,” with its creamy, sparkling melody, a melody highlighted by a softly crying steel guitar and gorgeously supple strings.
Suffused with expectation and the ache of yearning for arrival, the title track – another favorite and perhaps the best track on the album – glows with the almost palpable energy of memories. This track lays bare the authentic beauty of Vaarin’s evocatively haunting voice.
On her third long player, Vaarin opens herself to reminiscence and intimate introspection, emerging as a more remarkable artist than ever.
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